Move over, small pots — Hilda Baci is cooking history again. On September 12, in partnership with Gino Nigeria, the culinary star turned Eko Hotels, Lagos, into the stage for what Guinness World Records has now confirmed: the largest serving of Nigerian-style jollof rice ever cooked.
And when we say large, we mean monstrous. The pot tipped the scale at a jaw-dropping 8,780 kg — enough to feed a city and still have takeaway packs for the next day.
From Marathon Queen to Jollof Royalty
If her name sounds familiar, it’s because Hilda already snatched headlines in 2023 when she cooked her way into the record books with a 93-hour-11-minute marathon in the kitchen. Though her cooking marathon record was later overtaken, it was the launchpad that propelled her career into full-on superstardom, landing ambassadorships and collaborations that kept her brand simmering.
Now, she’s back at it — this time proving that jollof rice isn’t just food, it’s a cultural anthem.
What Went Into the Record-Breaking Pot?
According to Guinness World Records, every spoonful had to be accounted for. The rules required specific ingredients, and Hilda came prepared with an itemized list that reads like a shopping trip for the gods:
- 4,000 kg of washed basmati rice (must make up at least 80% of the weight)
- 164 kg of fresh goat meat
- 220 kg of Gino Asun & peppered chicken cubes
- 600 kg of Hilda’s signature jollof pepper mix
All of it was stirred, simmered, and smoked in a gigantic pot that doubled as a cultural symbol — because in Nigeria, jollof is never just food. It’s history, pride, and a little bit of rivalry.
Nine Hours, 16,600 Plates, Zero Waste
Hilda explained it took “nine hours of fire, passion and teamwork,” not to mention 1,200 kg of gas, to cook up what eventually became 16,600 plates of steaming jollof. And in true Nigerian fashion, nothing went to waste. By Guinness World Record standards, the food must be shared, and Hilda delivered: every plate served with “joy, love, and community.”
Hilda Baci has done it again, and this time with jollof that could probably be spotted from space. Guinness confirmed it. Nigeria celebrated it. And the world? Well, they just learned what we already knew: nobody does jollof like us.
